


Settle Down

by PrinxOfTheFlamingHeart



Category: The Two Princes (Podcast)
Genre: Childhood Friends!Amir & Jamila, M/M, Pajama Party | Friends!Jamila & Percy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26082766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinxOfTheFlamingHeart/pseuds/PrinxOfTheFlamingHeart
Summary: Jamila, Amir's childhood friend, comes to visit the Heartland Castle and reconnect. Amir is not excited. The rest of the gang are eager to hear what Amir was like as a kid from someone who grew up with him. Now all they need is to get along with Jamila long enough to let that happen. What does Jamila want? What does Amir want Jamila to want? And when will things ever settle down?
Relationships: Amir & Rupert (Two Princes Podcast), Amir/Rupert (Two Princes Podcast), JaMir (Two Princes Podcast, Pajama Party | Jamila & Percy Jr, Rumir (Two Princes Podcast)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	Settle Down

**Author's Note:**

> Jamila is not an OC. She's a concept character that Kevin Christopher Snipes cut out of season 2. "She's Amir's childhood friend. She's SUPER passive-aggressive about supporting the boys' marriage because she spent her whole life thinking she'd marry Amir and instead she now has to pretend to be happy for him finding love with someone else."

Lord Chamberlain’s voice barely carried across the throne room, even with the speaking horn. Yet the name he called next to be received by their highnesses in the Heartland sent chills down his spine. As he stood, smiling placidly to cover his inner screaming, Amir thought of all the many things said and left unsaid between himself and his guest. For her part, his childhood friend seemed quite at ease. She had always been good at that, hiding exactly what she was thinking. Amir didn’t like that about her. 

“Lady Jamila, welcome to the Heartland,” Prince Rupert said, bowing with a hand over his heart, as was Eastern tradition between a man and woman. 

Amir recognized her expression immediately, as if Rupert was some unclean thing. The expression passed so quickly that for a moment, Amir thought he’d imagined it. Faint hope, he realized, as she addressed him and not his husband. 

“It has been too long, ‘Miri,” she said sweetly. 

He shook his head. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that nickname. Lady Jamila, this is my husband-to-be, Prince Rupert,” Amir said evenly, watching his tone carefully but also observing his friend’s reactions. 

There was no mistaking the second flash of irritation. Rupert blinked, his hand coming up to grasp Amir’s arm possessively. Amir leaned into the gesture, making his feelings for Rupert clear to Jamila.

She bowed her head, averting her eyes from the place where Rupert made contact. “An honor to make your acquaintance, Prince Rupert. Prince Amir and I were childhood sweethearts.”

“Oh?” Rupert said, one eyebrow arched. “He hasn’t mentioned you.”

Jamila’s lips pressed together firmly. She looked directly into Amir’s eyes. He’d faced down many dangerous foes before but in the intensity of Jamila’s gaze, Amir looked away. “It was a long time ago.”

“Now there is no reason to be bashful, my prince. We were young and many promises made in the cradle are often broken before wedding bells,” Jamila said with a sigh. 

“Oh? So you were that sweet on each other?” Rupert asked, unable to resist the allure of teasing Amir. 

Jamila smiled, although Amir could see her eyes didn’t match up. “Sweet as sugar.”

Amir nodded to her. “How long will you be staying? And where?”

Jamila laughed, although the sound was different from Amir’s memories. Perhaps more strained? “Your mother invited me for a fortnight. She thought it would be good to have you in proper Eastern company, no offense meant, Prince Rupert.”

Amir noticed Rupert’s eyebrow twitch, but his fiancé kept his cool. “None taken, my lady. Eastern nobility have had mixed reactions to our union, in spite of the support of their queen.”

“And the West had to fire its entire Knight Corps and place a girl at its head, unless I’m mistaken?” Jamila said with a giggle. 

“It wasn’t quite like that...” Rupert began, but he was cut off. 

“Oh of course, you know how gossip spreads, your highness. You wouldn’t believe the kind of things that were once said of Queen Lavinia in the Eastern Court,” Jamila said primly. “But that’s ancient history. I will see you around, ‘Miri? Don’t run off and hide in a forest like you did last time?”

She held her hand aloft. Amir glanced at it but shook his head. Raising Rupert’s hand, he kissed Rupert’s engagement ring and replied, “It is our Castle, so I expect I’ll see you plenty. Remind Lord Chamberlain to make sure the fireplace in your room is kept up. Nights in the Heartland are cold.”

“They’re not the only thing,” Jamila muttered as she lowered her hand and curtseyed. Backing away, she turned to the side of the dais and exited the throne room. 

Rupert gave Amir a look he knew too well. His face basically screamed that they would talk about this later. Replacing his more genial expression, Rupert turned to receive the next guest. 

Amir was greatly distracted and excused himself some time later as the reception ended. To his surprise, Jamila was in the room he’d retreated to. “Oh! Lady Jamila.”

Her expression was softer, remorseful and Amir could tell she’d been crying, although she still looked mostly pristine. She rose and curtsied automatically, “Oh, it’s you ‘Miri.” Rising from the curtsy, Jamila sighed. “‘Lady Jamila’ again? Must we be so formal? Even here alone?”

“Formality has a way of keeping things in perspective, I’ve found,” Amir said.

Shaking her head, Jamila crossed to the side of the room nearest the fireplace. “Let me warm myself by the fire, since the flame you held for me is out.”

Ignoring her theatrics, Amir looked around. “Where is your escort?” Amir asked, realizing he hadn’t seen Jamila’s servants at all. 

“Old fashioned, don’t you think, sir?” She tossed the honorific over her shoulder like so much salt.. Accustomed to her tantrums, Amir prepared himself to weather a storm as she continued. “Besides. You like men now so what sense of propriety are we preserving?” She brushed her hands over the front of her dress. 

Amir exhaled and crossed to the sideboard. Her nervous gesture reminded him of all the trouble they got each other into as little kids. Pouring himself a glass of water, he corrected her. “I don’t ‘only like men’ Jamila. You know me better than that.”

“Do I?” She asked, whirling around. 

Amir allowed her outburst and poured a glass of water for her as well. “Maybe you didn’t. Maybe I didn’t know myself either.”

Crossing the room, Amir handed the glass over. Jamila took it and sipped. Amir drank from his glass as well and stepped away. Jamila reached out and took hold of his arm, in the same place Rupert’s hand had been before. “”Miri,” she began, but he shrugged her off. 

“Make no mistake, Lady Jamila. I am in love with that man out there. Our love saved both kingdoms. And his love showed me I could be someone worth fighting for, so, so many times.”

Setting the glass down, he turned to leave. “I don’t want to lose our friendship, Jamila but I will be up front with you. Don’t make me choose between you and Rupert because my choice will always be him.”

He could hear the tears in her voice as she threw the glass in the fireplace. “You would have said that about me at one point.”

He turned to face her and it was a vision he remembered too well. Her knitted eyebrows, the betrayal in her eyes, the hard set of her jaw and the curl in her lip. “We can be friends, Jamila, or you can go home. Your choice.”

As he opened the door, he turned back one last time. “I wasn’t kidding about the fireplace though. Don’t freeze from stubbornness. Again.” Amir turned and left her with those words.

* * *

When they met in their bedroom suite, Rupert was waiting at Amir’s desk. “Chamberlain said you were alone together after the reception? Do you want to talk about that?”

“Not really,” Amir said flippantly. 

Rupert looked downwards, it was an expression Chad recognized all too well. The crushed, kicked-puppy look of Rupert’s disappointment. “Will you tell me about her?”

Amir loosened the neck of his shirt and opened the buttons on his sleeves. “Before I was seven, before my training really started, she was my playmate. She liked to play house and have pretend weddings and carried a doll around that she called our baby.”

Rupert nodded, although Amir could tell he was clenching his jaw. “That’s cute,” he said, finally exhaling. 

“Yeah, well then I started training and I didn’t have time to be cute,” Amir continued. Reaching for Rupert, Amir felt better when Rupert allowed an embrace. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was lonely, Fitz.” 

Pushing gently against Amir’s chest, Rupert looked into his eyes. “She didn’t see you?”

Kissing Rupert’s nose, Amir glanced away before answering. “She saw what she wanted me to be. She saw what she wanted from me. We would go weeks without seeing each other and she would still be as sure about me as she was the rising sun. I was always too busy wondering if I’d live past my eighteenth birthday. I guess there weren’t many nobles with kids our age. But that didn’t make us anything like what you are to me. Not even close.”

Rupert kissed his cheek and patted his chest lovingly. “Yeah our childhoods sucked. So is she going to be a problem? Because if you need me to be the bad guy and send her home because I’m jealous or offended or whatever, I will.”

Amir sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t go to that room expecting her to be there," he said, working on removing his boots.

Rupert waved a hand. “Amir, I’m not worried about you being by yourself in a room with a woman. Or a man. Maybe a siren.”

“Cute,” Amir said, deadpan. Setting his boots aside, he continued. “But when I saw her there and she looked at me with that ‘clearly not over you’ expression on her face. It hurt. I feel like I failed her when I saved the kingdom.”

“Do you regret us...getting together?” Rupert asked. Amir looked up at Rupert, surprised by the question. Rupert had his back turned away as he fiddled with some jewelry on Amir’s vanity. 

Amir stood up and crossed to him immediately. Hugging him from behind, Amir whispered in Rupert’s ear. “Never! Not for one second. But I do feel sorry for her.”

Rupert patted Amir's arms as they held him close. “You’re a good Prince and a good man, Amir." Pulling gently, Rupert got Amir to open his arms enough for him to turn around and hold him chest to chest. "But you can’t make everyone happy with you all the time.”

As he buried his face in Rupert's hair, a thought occurred to Amir. “Why does that sound like something I told you?”

Rupert kissed his cheek. “Hm. Because it is. How’s hearing your own words quoted back to you?”

Amir let him go and slid his hands into Rupert's. “Annoying. But mostly because you’re right. And I guess that makes me right too. Thanks, me.” Dropping his hands, Amir strutted away, chest puffed out.

Rupert laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

Amir called over his shoulder as he headed to their bathroom. “You know it. I also don’t need you to be the bad guy. I told her honestly that if she didn’t support us, she could go home.”

“Ouch. I’m sure she needed to hear it. But ouch.” Rupert said, moving to stand in the doorway as Amir drew a bath. He noted with amusement that this was their shared bathtub. They had other bathrooms with smaller tubs but this one was meant for them both. Their private bathrooms were all fully plumbed from a cistern at the top of the castle and heated by a carefully maintained, state-of-the-art water heater from the East. 

“I’m sure that wasn’t any more pleasant for you to do than it was for her to hear,” Rupert said as he slipped out of his own shirt. He bit his lower lip as he waited for Amir to notice.

“It wasn’t,” Amir admitted. Turning back to Rupert, Amir's smile returned with enough brightness to make Rupert blush.

"I'm sure I could make you feel better," Rupert offered, sticking his thumbs in the waist of his pants. 

Tossing his shirt aside, Amir nodded. "I'm sure you could. Then we'll figure out what to do about Jamila later."

* * *

In the morning, Amir had a stroke of genius. Or at least he thought so. At the breakfast table, Rupert seemed far less enthusiastic than Amir hoped. Then again, Rupert wasn't a morning person. Amir pushed a plate of sausages in Rupert's direction and poured his fiance a glass of orange juice.

"Okay," Rupert said finally, his eyes looking more clear and focused now that he had something in his stomach. "Explain it again."

Amir snorted and poured his own glass of juice. "I'm going to introduce Jamila to Cecily and Joan. They'll put in good words for you and then we'll all be friends!"

Rupert groaned and reached for the basket of warm rolls and butter. Amir waited for him to split a roll and slather it in a layer of butter before demanding to know what the groan was about. "You don't think it'll work? You know Joan and Cecily! They're awesome."

Shaking his head, Rupert spoke as he grabbed more sausage and bacon. "I know they are. The problem is trying to convince her that making friends here will get your attention. If that's even what she wants, anyway." Rupert served himself from the bowl of scrambled eggs and started making his pile of food disappear. 

"I know what she wants. But she can't have me," Amir said confidently. Rupert didn't make a noise, but his disparaging glare was enough to give Amir pause again. 

"She's probably going to want to get back at you," Rupert said, gesturing at Amir with a forkful of eggs. 

"What?" Amir asked, incredulous. "Why would she want that? She loves me!"

Stuffing some bacon, egg, and sausage into a buttered roll, Rupert snorted. "And you made it clear that she can't have you. If you want something bad enough, but can't get it, sometimes people would rather see that thing they wanted gone. Or hurt."

"Jamila isn't like that," Amir said firmly.

Rupert shrugged. "I don't know what your mother was on, sending your ex here. But she's from your side of the kingdom. You might be right."

Wishing intently that Rupert sounded more sure about Amir's plans, Amir took the basket of rolls away before Rupert could make another sandwich. "Of course I am."

* * *

Walking through the courtyard, Amir was pleased to see Jamila looking her best, strolling towards him in a lovely orange dress that really complimented her deep brown complexion in the sunlight. Her face seemed to light up as she approached, but she kept her eyes respectfully down as their paths collided. 

"Good morning, Lady Jamila," Amir said, placing his hand over his chest and bowing. 

She nodded demurely as she curtsied. "Good morning, Your Royal Highness."

"Seems like it's been a while since I've heard that from you," Amir said, eyebrow raised. 

Glancing at his eyes for a moment, Jamila shook her head. "His Highness has instructed me to keep formality. I would like to respect the boundaries you've set, sir."

Amir groaned inwardly. Jamila never used the term 'sir' for anyone, not even her father. "Well, good. Ah! Even better. Lady Jamila, allow me to introduce two of my best friends and loyal subjects, Lady Cecily of the West and Sir Joan, Knight Champion of the Heartland."

The two in question approached from the same direction Jamila had. Lady Jamila stepped back and to the side, to keep her open to the new acquaintances and her old friend. She bowed her head slightly at Cecily and bowed slightly from the waist to Joan. "Sir Joan, your reputation precedes you. Lady Cecily, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I've never heard of you, but then word still travels somewhat slowly between the two sides of the kingdom."

Joan glared at Amir, who looked at Jamila as if she'd grown a second head. 

Cecily was undaunted. "Oh hey, well that's no biggie. Like, I've never heard of you until Amir started talking about you this morning. Can't believe I'm meeting someone who knew Amir when he was still in diapers! Like, okay, I've met and even fought a dragon with Queen Atossa, but like we've never had a conversation. I have literally a hundred questions for you! I'd love to get the tea, girl!"

Amir chimed in, seeing his opportunity to bail. "Yes, why don't you all have tea? Lord Chamberlain has prepared a table for you all in the greenhouse. Jamila, I'll catch up with you after the morning audiences." With that, he turned tail and left. 

"Well he seemed eager to leave," Jamila said flatly.

Joan snorted. "Can't imagine why."

Cecily linked arms with Joan and Jamila and started walking them all towards the greenhouse. "Well, Jammy, let's start getting the dirt off you!"

Jamila tried to stop and inspect her dress. "Did I step in something?"

Cecily laughed freely. "Oh, you're funny! No, but you have stepped around Prince Perfect-Pants from almost literally day one!"

"I'm actually a month older than...Prince Perfect-Pants," Jamila admitted as they rounded the corner and the greenhouse came into view. 

"Really? Your skin is so great! You totally look a year younger, at least. We should exchange beauty care tips!" Cecily said excitedly.

As Cecily unlinked her arms to bound forward to open the greenhouse door, Jamila looked askance at her silent companion. "Is she...always like that?"

Joan looked at her and nodded, blankly. "Oh yeah. You'll get used to it." As she stepped forward, Joan added, "Or you'll want to kill her."

For a moment, Jamila considered walking away, packing up, and returning to the East. The memory of seeing Amir smile at her just moments ago as he'd walked towards her made those thoughts vanish. Brushing her hands on her front, Jamila went to have tea. And spill it while she was at it.

* * *

Rupert found Amir staring up at the ceiling from the floor of his study after the morning advisory meeting. "Amir, we have the audience session in fifteen minutes. And I think I saw Lady Karen in the crowd today. She's probably eager to sell her crappy wine again."

"I'd drink a barrel of it if I could get out of having Jamila here," Amir admitted.

Rupert glanced up at the heavens for a second before sighing. "Okay, do you want to talk about it or just complain?"

Amir sat up and reached out for Rupert's hand. Taking it, Rupert helped Amir stand up and started walking around him to brush off anything Amir picked up from the floor. Amir let out a frustrated sigh and spoke. "She called me 'Your Royal Highness' and 'sir.'"

Rupert let out a short laugh as he brushed Amir’s broad shoulders. "Well, Your Royal Highness, sir, that seems like what you asked her to do. What did you want from her?"

Burying his face in his hands, Amir moaned. "What I want is…” He started, but cut himself off as he failed to put words to what he felt. Rupert allowed him time to figure himself out. In the meanwhile, he contented himself with dusting off Amir’s back, from his neck to the seat of his pants. 

Finally, Amir shrugged. “ I wanted her to stop calling me that stupid pet name she gave me when I was four. Not act like some courtly-manners-obsessed, sharp-tongued devil."

Shaking his head, Rupert replied. "She's playing you. The game is 'let's make 'Miri miserable until he begs me to stop' and she's playing you well."

Folding his arms, Amir rolled his eyes. "And what game are you playing? There can't be that much dust on my butt--ow!"

Turning around, Amir frowned as Rupert held up a thread between two fingers and feigned innocence. "There was a loose thread, sir."

"What do I do? I can't give in to her and I definitely can't give her what she wants," Amir said, shoulders slumping.

Before Rupert could answer, Joan and Cecily entered the room. Lady Cecily started before Joan had the door closed. "Okay so tea with your little childhood friend was both enlightening and infuriating. Like, I know so much more about what you were like at age six, Mr. Slept-With-A-Blue-Toy-Dragon. But she was also very rude about the West and Joanie."

Looking from Cecily to Joan, Rupert noted the tension in the Knight Champion's neck. As well as the wet stain on Joan’s shirt. "You okay, Joan?"

Joan shrugged. "I'm used to getting told I should put down a sword and have babies, Your Highness. She's smart but not exactly original. Her ‘spilt-tea accident’ gave us a good excuse to leave her though, so I’ll give her that."

Amir sighed. "I'm sorry. Really. I owe you a new shirt. Also please never mention Blueby in front of anyone else, please?"

Cecily nodded, a cheshire-cat smile on her face. Amir shuddered to think what else Jamila told them. "Where is Jamila now?"

* * *

"So that's how I ended up learning that dragon dung can cause second degree burns and also that gardening gloves don't work for dragon dung removal," Percy Junior said with a smirk. 

"Your father was the Knight Champion before Joan, and they have you picking up after their dragon?" Jamila asked, setting her glass of wine down next to Percy's pint. 

"I mean there is the small matter of me trying to help an enemy queen but other than that I've been a model citizen!" Percy said, eyes wide and lips pouty.

"Let's not forget the army you put together before that and the servants you convinced to pull out of the Royal Wedding..." Lord Chamberlain started, before Percy shushed him.

Jamila laughed. "You invaded the Heartland, sabotaged the Royal Wedding, helped an enemy queen and still have a head? Well, that does bring up the question of what you have to do around here to really get into trouble?"

At Chamberlain's disapproving glare, Jamila laughed again. "Okay, okay, I'm not trying to get into any trouble. What I want... I just want Amir...for Amir to..."

Chamberlain refilled her glass as she faltered. "You don't know what you want? Why did you come?"

Jamila sat back and huffed. "Queen Atossa ordered me to visit the Heartland. I've been studying for years at her school for girls and she's kept me close to the castle so I could see Amir. I didn't realize how...Amir didn't feel the same way I did."

Percy took a long drink from his pint and set it down none-too-gently. "Unrequited love. That sounds familiar."

"I don't want Amir's love!" Jamila practically shouted. Glancing around the noisy room, she was glad no one else heard her. "I just want Amir to ... apologize. He lead me on all these years."

"He actually proposed to you?" Lord Chamberlain asked.

"Yes! I remember it clearly. It was the night before his seventh birthday..." At her drinking companion's combined laughter, she stopped and folded her arms over her chest.

"I brought him his favorite snack. Yogurt and pistachios. He showed me all the books his mother was making him read so he could be the best prince. I told him I'd be the best princess for him. He agreed."

"Did he get down on one pint-sized knee?" Percy asked, waving his own pint.

"Did he actually propose?" Chamberlain asked.

Jamila scoffed. "Of course he..." She stopped for a moment to think. "Well I mean it was implied!"

"Let me put it this way. Marriage contracts are still common in the East?" Chamberlain asked.

"Well, yes. Queen Atossa has made it so the girl must freely consent and outlawed payments for marriages but she couldn't get it abolished completely. There was too much trouble convincing some traditionalists."

"The West had similar troubles. Did your family ever enter a contract with Queen Atossa?" Chamberlain asked.

Looking down, she muttered, "No."

Percy shook his head. "Look, it's been a dozen years or so since you really spent time with him. He went off and left a month early to go kill another prince in a forest. And then he decides to stay in the forest with the prince he was supposed to kill and marry him instead and build a whole new kingdom from two rivals. If you ask me, you can do better!"

"With who? You? Dragon dung-boy?" Jamila asked sharply. 

Lord Chamberlain laughed, earning glares from both of his table-mates. He looked at Percy meaningfully, but neither addressed it when they turned back to Jamila. "I'm not someone's rebound. I deserve better too. I won't always be picking up after a fire-breathing royal pain in the neck and at this rate neither will you. Maybe what you need from Amir is to tell him he sucks and that you'll be happier without him."

"Oh I could tell him that," Jamila said, sitting up straighter. "The problem is believing it."


End file.
